---
layout: docs
page_title: 'nomad job validate command reference'
description: >
  The `nomad job validate` command checks a job specification for syntax
  errors and validation problems.
---

# `nomad job validate` command reference

**Alias: `nomad validate`**

The `job validate` command is used to check an HCL [job specification] for any
syntax errors or validation problems.

## Usage

```plaintext
nomad job validate <file>
```

The `job validate` command requires a single argument, specifying the path to a
file containing an HCL [job specification]. This file will be read and the job
checked for any problems. If the supplied path is "-", the job file is read from
STDIN. Otherwise it is read from the file at the supplied path or downloaded and
read from URL specified. Nomad downloads the job file using [`go-getter`] and
supports `go-getter` syntax.

On successful validation, exit code 0 will be returned, otherwise an exit code
of 1 indicates an error.

When ACLs are enabled, this command requires a token with the `read-job`
capability for the job's namespace.

## Options

- `-json`: Parses the job file as JSON. If the outer object has a Job field,
  such as from "nomad job inspect" or "nomad run -output", the value of the
  field is used as the job.

- `-hcl2-strict`: Whether an error should be produced from the HCL2 parser where
  a variable has been supplied which is not defined within the root variables.
  Defaults to true.

- `-vault-namespace`: If set, the passed Vault namespace is stored in the job
  before sending to the Nomad servers.

- `-var=<key=value>`: Variable for template, can be used multiple times.

- `-var-file=<path>`: Path to HCL2 file containing user variables.

## Examples

Validate a JSON job with invalid syntax:

```shell-session
$ nomad job validate -json example.json
Job validation errors:
1 error occurred:
        * Missing job datacenters
```

Validate a job that has a configuration that causes warnings:

```shell-session
$ nomad job validate example.nomad.hcl
Job Warnings:
1 warning(s):

* Group "cache" has warnings: 1 error(s) occurred:

* Update max parallel count is greater than task group count (6 > 3). A destructive change would result in the simultaneous replacement of all allocations.

Job validation successful
```

## General options

@include 'general_options.mdx'

[`go-getter`]: https://github.com/hashicorp/go-getter
[job specification]: /nomad/docs/job-specification
